Why is the first question From that the rest arises
Through the use of Incentives to assist the plans for your estate
Whether with use or not, of carrots bribes or sticks just reasonable suggestions with rewards
What is wealth? What is great wealth? A live current always flowing hence currency
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Beneficiaries
Beneficiaries will naturally be of differing characters and persuasions, some better formed and informed than others. They come in many shapes and sizes and can range from the very spoilt to the fairly sensible. The process of shaping and fashioning their characters does not stop at the end of their formal education but continues thereafter and there is no reason why that should not continue after your death
If you are leaving substantial wealth it is all the more incumbent upon you to make sureA- 10
that those who have the benefit and stewardship of that wealth should have the necessary educational, financial and other skills to make sure that the best part of your wealth is used for the best of purposes.
Your professional advisers should be made aware of more than just the beneficiaries names and ages. They should grow to know each other well. This hopefully enriching relationship, will allow them to better advise on suitable Incentives and possibly much more.
The Family Ethos
The values and heritage of a family are an important element of the ethos of a familyThese are subjective considerations for every family or its grouping, though there will be common threads.A
It is important that the family ethos is well considered and developed by you as part of the estate planning process.
Define what is meant by family ethos, it will be a number of things, occupation, culture , background, size heritage and so on
The value of a family is not just in its financial wealth but also its human and intellectual capital. Including also the skills and accomplishments that a family has and how well the members of the family connect and bond with each other, together with the social compact between the generations. All these and other pertinent factors matter greatly when considering how best to decide on incentives
The person developing the estate plan should bear the overall wealth and attributes of the
family in mind, so that a will is created which fashions and preserves the family ethos for the good of all.Family here refers not just to fathers, mothers, children and grandchildren, but may extend to uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins etc depending on the family and what bonds exist.
The idea is that if bonds exist Incentives may strengthen such bonds. And if bonds do not exist then some may be created.For example a good incentive could be for a member of the family to propagate the family ethos and its bonding by arranging regular gatherings and also creating an online presence where interaction may take place.
Relationships
Those making wills will have different relationships to consider. That of being a parent, grandparent, an uncle, a cousin , a friend etc. Reword as repeat from earlierThere are many couples and people who do not have children and Incentives are a good way of including nieces, nephews, cousins and others within the ambit of your estate planning and to create suitable Incentives for their benefit.
There is no reason why you cannot benefit close friends and their children and others near and dear, they might welcome the benefit of your good sense and your reward.
Consultation
As part of this process you may wish to consult the intended trustees to ascertain their views on Incentives. Where suitable you may also discuss aspects of your potential plans with your beneficiaries and take their views into account where sensible and not too distressing.
Much depends on the involvement you may wish the beneficiaries to have in this process and what value may be derived from that involvement. At times families may wish to discuss Incentives with other family members to obtain a better idea of the range of Inducements that could be offered, jointly and individually
Those near and dear and those afar
Divide into Sections
The mechanics of leaving your wealth
And the
Why How What When
Start by explaining the concepts of how people usually leave money and then
In the case of most wills, the basics are fairly simple as to who the money will be left to and the only important matters which arise are the ages at which the beneficiaries would inherit absolutely and whether there is suitable provision for them to be looked after till that age. And of course how best tax may be saved, which usually takes up most of the time and effort PUT THIS ELSEWHERENeed to mind map the text so that it flows in better order
Start by explaining the concepts of how people usually leave money and then go into more detail
Process
By considering the use of incentives as a part of your estate planning, the process of making your will takes on a unique aspect. It gives you an opportunity to consider and reflect how you view the use of your wealth after death It gives a chance to consider your personal and family ethos, financial and otherwise. Such reflection serves you well in fashioning and creating suitable Incentives.
Considering Incentives also makes the process of making your will more interesting. You will get a chance to ponder over your family ethos, and your values and desires. Such considerations help to fashion inducements to shape your future generations, in many ways, some perhaps of major significance
The process of considering incentives may also help you whilst you are alive for if the beneficiaries know that you are setting out incentives for them in your will, they may please you by carrying out the task while you are alive. Wishful thinking, perhaps, and nothing wrong with that.
Either way, good thoughts applied practically never go to waste and sensible innovation by way of incentives will lead to an evolution in estate planning in Estate Planning
Professional Advisers
Your professional advisers should be made aware of more than just the beneficiaries names and ages. They should grow to know each other well
This hopefully enriching relationship, will allow them to better advise on suitable Incentives and possibly much more.
Write more on interaction between professional advisers and potential and actual beneficiaries.
Effectiveness In order for the incentives to be effective, they have to be well implementedIn terms of the Foundational Incentives, suitable trustees would have to be appointed to oversee proper implementation. Much will depend on the nature of the Incentive, the beneficiaries and the availability of suitable Trustees
With regard to Important Incentives and Simple Incentives, the implementation can be made a little more flexible, for example the beneficiary could, if old enough, be trusted to oversee himself.
Do more words in bold for contrast
There are no easy answers to the issue of rigid implementation and there are various aspects which may be difficult, such as having satisfactory evidence that implementation has indeed taken place and to the degree stated. In the event that the beneficiary chooses not to carry out the Incentive then the set amount would be given elsewhereWe cover in more detail aspects of how incentives may be best implemented in our book on Estate Planning and Incentives
Drafting
Incentives in the way that they have developed in modern times are an innovation and particular care needs to be taken with regard to the drafting of the Incentives
It is important that advice is taken from those who are familiar in this type of estate planning and who have available a range of suitably drafted precedents for incentivesThere is also the question to consider as to how often the will is going to be reviewed, as certain incentives may be more suitable for beneficiaries at certain ages and you never know when the final day will come.
Careful thought has to be applied to ensure that the incentives stated are viable at the age that the beneficiary has to carry them out. The Incentives will have to be carefully crafted to ensure that there is no ambiguity or misunderstanding
Letter of Wishes
If you do not wish to have incentives included in your will, then there are other ways of incentivising your beneficiaries. Guidance can also be included in a Letter of Wishes , with the will. Whilst such letters are not binding they will give a good idea of what your thoughts are.
Discussion
You can just sit down with your beneficiaries and discuss your wishes, however since this involves you and them in the contemplation of your demise, these are not welcome or easy discussions. Conversations are also likely to be forgotten and you cannot be sure what effect the talk has had. Generally it would be better to consult a wise professional and see what may best be done and set relevant matters in writing for later review and inclusion in a letter of wishes
You can also make a dvd or audio of the guidance you wish your beneficiaries to have.
LifetimeREDRAFT BELOW
There are of course various ways in which a Testator might consider Incentives as a part of the estate planning process. The good thinking behind incentives does not mean that Incentives have to be included in the willThe process of thinking about incentives and why you may want to include them is a valuable and worthwhile reflection on your family and its ethosSuch reflection may mean that you could provide guidance as to your wishes to the beneficiaries, whilst you are alive .
For example if you believe that learning the family language is important you may want to bribe, sorry incentivise, them to do so whilst you are alive and so on.Legal Analysis
Write up legal analysis and have in smaller font
The purpose of the Incentives we suggest and set out in this work are various and varied. Some Incentives are intended to shape your beneficiaries to make them productive, worthwhile individuals. The purpose of others is to extend familial bonds for the future. Some Incentives seek to make your beneficiaries more creative and interesting persons.
Some of them may well have elements that have appealed to you and which you think may appeal to them. Whichever and whatever, they are mostly designed to encourage and inspire your beneficiaries in some way
The purpose of the Incentives we suggest and set out in this work are various and varied. Some Incentives are intended to shape your beneficiaries to make them productive, worthwhile individuals. The purpose of others is to extend familial bonds for the future.
Some Incentives seek to make your beneficiaries more creative and interesting persons. Some of them may well have elements that have appealed to you and which you think may appeal to them.
Whichever and whatever, they are mostly designed to encourage and inspire your beneficiaries in some way.Incentives can be divided into several categories. Our approach for this work is to divide them into
Foundational, Important, Simple and Fun
Foundational IncentivesIncentives which are serious and foundational. This will be where there is great concern that substantial wealth may prove a detriment if not suitably controlled.
The potential beneficiaries may already have exhibited adverse characters and the concern is that they will misspend and harm themselves. In this instance the Incentives need to be very carefully chosen and then set up to ensure that there is control by Trustees and safeguards built in.
For example a beneficiary may have to be in work or obtain a university degree, before any allowance if
given.
Important Incentives
There may be incentives which are important but are not crucial for the beneficiary to survive and prosper. They have a serious purpose in that their effect should be far reaching for example such as your wishing them to learn their family language as that will connect them better with members of the family and community.
Between the other incentives, the Important incentives may prove to be the ones of the most lasting benefit if carefully chosen and well implemented. Some of these may prove to be foundational
Simple Incentives
These may embrace smaller sums of money being given for matters such as reading
book from a chosen list, going on short courses and the like
Fun Incentives
Incentives to ensure that your beneficiaries have fun and joy and comprise of fun things that you think they enjoy or are things that you know they already like and find pleasantSet out some examples for the above and also refer to the longer list
Considerations
For Incentives some areas for consideration are education, occupation, marriage, faith and culture. You may also wish to ensure that your beneficiaries have a reasonable set of common life skills so that they turn out to be well rounded individuals whilst retaining their individuality
Much depends on the family, the size and extent of the wealth and on your values and wisdom. The process of considering incentives as part of your estate planning will lead to much more than just your will at the end. It will provide a valuable chance for reflection and consideration of many important areas of your life.Incentives can be a mixture of entertainment, encouragement, education and so on.
There is an ample list of incentives covered in our book on this subject and a small selection is set out on this site. Please see the menu above
All heiresses are beautiful”
John Dryden
Clarify or explain that the term Incentive Trusts and why we prefer to use the general term IncentivesState that cannot say too much about each of the Incentives here except to give some flavour. We expand upon each of the incentives in the book and hope explore these further in the light of reviews and suggestions
Foundational
1 .EDUCATION
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson MandelaAttend at University and obtain a degree in a chosen subject.A Further reward if secure a
post graduate qualification. All costs paid. and on completion a reward of a set sum of money
2. INCOME
Wealth is the product of mans capacity to think. Ayn Rand
The estate to match the annual income earned by the beneficiary. If the Beneficiary earns £100000 per annum the Estate to match that, in whole or multiples
3. CHARITY
We only have what we give. Isabel AllendeTo encourage philanthropy the estate could match charitable donations made by the beneficiary
4. LANGUAGES
If you talk to a man in a language he understands that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language it goes to his heart.A profound difference can be made if your beneficiaries learn to read and write the language of their origins. There will be better communication with family and will bring the beneficiaries closer to their roots
5. CONVICTIONS
This is where any allowance is conditional upon the beneficiary having a clean criminal record.A check to be carried out every year, will identify causes for concern
“Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with your self esteem.” Kurt Cobain
If there is concern that the beneficiary is addicted then any allowance paid may be made subject to the beneficiary passing a drugs test. This will also provide a chance to help the beneficiary deal with addiction
IMPORTANT
7. BUSINESS
Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best artAppoint suitable people to encourage your beneficiary to start a business.
Only if your beneficiary is keen of course. Your beneficiary will learn and grow and maybe build something of value
Make sure that expand on each incentive in the Book
8. TEACHING
I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession. John Wooden
A teaching qualification would be of invaluable benefit.Inspire your beneficiary to become a teacher for a few years , with a period in other nominated countries. Teaching is a worthwhile profession and not well paid generally
9. PROPERTY
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Marcus Garvey
Buy a nice place where your roots are and pay your beneficiaries to stay and visit for a set period every year or two. If they don’t then the reward forfeited to some other lesser cause
10. LEGAL SKILLS
“Are you planning to follow a career in Magical Law, Miss Granger?” asked Scrimgeour.
“No, I’m not,” retorted Hermione. “I’m hoping to do some good in the world!”
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Your beneficiary will need to deal with lawyers regarding probate.
Pay your beneficiary to attend courses and lectures on estate planning and management. This will enable them to be a useful part of the process
11. OLDER PEOPLE
When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see.
Chinua Achebe
Working with and helping the elderly is rewarding. Your beneficiary will also learn much from the wisdom of the older and wiser. This can be truly enriching, and an incentive will make all the difference
12. CHARITY
If you haven't got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble
Bob Hope
Incentivise your beneficiary to work with one of several nominated charities.This will help them to become more caring people.
Such experience will help if you are also making sizeable donations to charity
13. DANCE
Everything in the Universe has a Rhythm
Everything Dances .
Maya Angelou
Dancing will refresh parts of the body that the other senses do not embrace.Folk Dance, Hip Hop, Latin, Ballroom and Garba and Raas .There are many to choose from. And if they don’t want to dance then encourage them to appreciate dance performances
14. MUSIC
Ah Music! A Magic far beyond all we do here
J K Rowling Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Get them to learn a musical instrument. Many benefits, they could form a band . Pay them to make a music video.There are many possibilities with music
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15. BOOKS
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!
How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
The most invaluable insights and guidance can come from reading a selection of books. Some will be foundational
Many of your choice and many your beneficiary may find interesting.Say £150 per book depending on the character of your beneficiary.
We cover in detail the rationale and purpose
of each of these selected Incentives, and many more, in our full book on Incentives and Estate Planning
16. ELOCUTION
Talking and eloquence are not the same: to speak, and to speak well, are two things.
Ben Jonson
Communication is important and a good start is for your beneficiary to acquire good elocution and presentation skills.The benefits are numerous and encouragement will help this to be done.
17. WEB SKILLS
Young players need freedom of expression to develop as creative players... they should be encouraged to try skills without fear of failure. Arsene Wenger
Motivate your beneficiary to acquire suitable web skills and to create and publish web sites and much moreThese are the new skills of the age and well worth learning
18. YOGA
Oh gosh, I noticed dramatic changes in my body after I started doing yoga, but I also think you have to shake things up.
Jennifer Aniston
The ancient art and craft of Yoga is steeped in much learning and wisdom.Your beneficiary will stay or become healthy and will be better able to stay calm and deal with the stresses and strains of life A
19. MEDITATION
At the end of the day, I can end up just totally wacky, because I've made mountains out of molehills. With meditation, I can keep them as molehills.
Ringo Starr
Following on from yoga, your beneficiaries would
enjoy attending the many meditation resorts around the world.Treat them
20. DIARY
I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.
Oscar Wilde
Encourage them to keep a regular diary. A handwritten one as well, though you may need to pay more.It will give them a chance to reflect on the day and in ages to come.
21. GATHERINGS
A happy family is but an earlier heaven.
George Bernard Shaw
Incentivise them to organise frequent gathering of close family and friends. Dinners , picnics and much else
22. FAITH
“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”
Certainly incentivise your beneficiary to learn all about the family faith and to know it well. Also ask them to learn well about those of other faiths and those of no faith. An important area in our age and a good understanding and appreciation will make your beneficiary grateful and graceful.
23. PARTY
“I drink to the general joy o’ the whole table." Macbeth”
William Shakespeare, Macbeth
Have them organise a party every year in celebration of your passing and they can mourn and dance and dally.All on you of course
24. HOLIDAYS
A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort, and remembered with nostalgia.
Author Unknown
Provide Incentives for them to have holidays at some places of your choosing and some places they choose themselves
25. COOKING
Cooking is about passion, so it may look slightly temperamental in a way that is too assertive to the naked eye.
Gordon Ramsay
Pay your beneficiary to learn cooking. Cooking lessons and trips and so many possibilities. They will never go hungry. Cooking is about passion, so it may look slightly temperamental in a way that is too assertive to the naked eye
26. VISITS
Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.
Henri Nouwen
Visit relatives and friends frequently and take along suitable gifts. Yes they are being paid to do this and may be mocked.
Bribe , Carrot , Stick
Whatever does the Trick
27. FAMILY WEB
Look well after a beneficiary who organises an online web presence for the family and extended family.This helps them all to stay in touch with each other. Your support will provide encouragement to do this task well and regularly
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The greatest wealth is to live content with little
Plato
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What can I leave under my will?
Everything you own. This is known as your estate and includes;
Money in any accounts and cash
Land and Buildings
Stocks and Shares
Contents of Safe Deposit boxes
Proceeds of Insurance Policies
Gold and Jewellery
Valuable items such as paintings
Personal and household goods
Cars
Intellectual property
Digital Death
The last several decades have seen a new phenomenon that of Digital Assets. Digital Inheritance is the process of handing over digital assets to your beneficiaries
Digital Assets
Digital assets are (in contrast to physical assets) unlike usual assets. Data sets that can be inherited can include passwords, instructive memos, digital contracts, digital receipts, pictures, medical information (e.g. about inheritable diseases).
Today, more and more assets are resting on media that are not owned by the data owner but by service providers (e.g. Google, Apple, Microsoft etc.)In contrast to physical assets, electronic assets can be copied indefinitely, which could be problematic if the asset represents intellectual property.
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Digital Contracts
A problem is also posed by the fact that some contracts with service providers most often are automatically terminated (by the terms of service) as soon as the customer ceases to exist.
Meaning that there is no right for heirs to access that data.In contrast to conventional inheritance of physical assets, digital inheritance also needs to cope with the fact that the digital heirs may only know the person making the will by their email addresses or mobile numbers.
Handing over digital assets requires additional instructions and passwords that may be crucial for an heir to further deal with the digital assets
Businesses
Business interests need to be properly considered in order that your estate plan fits in well with your business assets. You can plan future business and financial strategy better if you have given careful thought to making a good estate plan
Some IssuesProperty
Is it freehold .. is it leasehold...
Are the papers in order.....???Businesses
Will your share in any business have to be sold, if so how will the price be calculated?
Are there plans to continue the business if you fall ill or the worst happens ?Is the business the kind of business which your beneficiaries will be capable and passionate about running. If not then consider alternatives... maybe a business that will suit their interests, abilities and sensibilities
Business assets can take different forms from large to fairly small The interests may be held in partnerships or involve shares in companies. A review of business interests should be carried out to ensure there will be no difficulties in passing on the interests for the convenience of your beneficiaries as well as your business partners and fellow shareholders
A sensible approach would be to ensure that your Estate Plan fits in with your business interests and reviews should be carried out frequently.
Businesses embrace many aspects and only brief pointers can be given here but this area is covered in more detail in our book on Estate Planning and Incentives and other publications
Your Accountants and Financial Advisers should work closely with your Legal Advisers in developing a suitable Business and Estate Plan "
Money is a singular thing. It ranks with love as man's greatest source of joy. And with death as his greatest source of anxiety "
J. K. Galbraith
Place above quote on Home page
Lasting Powers of Attorney
If, during your lifetime, you lose the ability to make decisions for yourself you would undoubtedly want some reassurance about who would be making those decisions on your behalf. Who, for example, would operate your bank accounts and pay your bills if you did not have capacity? Arguably as important as a will, a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) should form part of your overall succession planning ensuring all your affairs are in order should the worst happen.
If you have not made any provision for this eventuality in your lifetime, someone on your behalf, perhaps a close relative, friend or solicitor may apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as your ‘Deputy’. The application process for appointment as Deputy can take several months to conclude and the costs can be high.
The simple alternative is to decide now who you trust to make decisions on your behalf by appointing an Attorney. You can appoint more than one Attorney to act in the event of your mental incapacity and set out conditions when they can and cannot act on your behalf
Matters not Covered
There are some matters an LPA cannot cover. An attorney cannot vote on the donor's behalf, or make decisions relating to marriage, a civil partnership or sexual relationships.Also, an attorney cannot make or alter a will for the donor, and cannot demand to see a will unless specially authorised by the Court of Protection.
In some circumstances this can be awkward: an attorney may decide, quite properly, to sell an item owned by the donor, without knowing that the item has been left by will to a relative. Should a donor be aware of such a possibility, the attorneys should be warned and appropriate details left with them. Alternatively, the section on “ guidance to my attorneys' may include the necessary information.
Advance Decision
Advance decision or advance statement
Advance decisions and Advance Statements are the formal names for the two different types of ‘living Will’The term ‘living Will’ does not have a legal meaning but can be used to refer to either an advance decision or an advance statementAn advance decision is a decision to refuse treatment; an advance statement is any other decision about how you would like to be treated. Only an advance decision is legally binding, but an advance statement should be taken into account when deciding what is in your best interests
Living Wills
A Living Will is a statement expressing your views on how you would or would not like to be treated if you are unable to make decisions about your treatment yourself at the relevant time in the future. Legal The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides a legal framework to help empower people to make their own decisions and to make clear what actions carers and family can take.
It puts the law on advance decisions (or living Wills) on a clear statutory basis for the first time. The rules relate particularly to advance decisions to refuse treatment, including refusal of life-sustaining treatment.
Why make an advance decision ?You may wish to make an advance decision if you have strong feelings about a particular situation that could arise in the future. This might relate to having a limb amputated following an accident or having a blood transfusion.
More commonly, you may have been told that you have a terminal illness or form of dementia. You may wish to prepare an advance decision indicating the type of treatment you would not want to receive in the future.
Making an advance decision may give you peace of mind knowing that your wishes will not be ignored if you are unable to take part in the decision-making process at the relevant time.
Explain that there are no Tax Exemptions for Incentives as such.Explain that as there is more than ample information on tax available generally that am not going into details of exemptions and allowances at present.Also consider whether wish to include below or replace with more general points about tax
Taxation
The tax payable on your estate after death is called
Inheritance Tax
Nil Rate Band
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Everyone is allowed to leave up to a certain amount without their inheritors needing to pay tax on it. The amount is set by the government and is called the nil-rate band
Currently (in the 2012/2013 tax year) everyone is able to leave £325,000 completely tax-free. Above that amount, anything you leave is subject to tax of 40%.
Exemptions / AllowancesMoney given away before you die is still usually counted as part of your estate, hence subject to Inheritance Tax. However if you die within seven years of giving the gift. There are reducing sliding scales of tax payable for each of the seven years before you die
Annual Inheritance Tax Exemption. The first £3,000 given away each tax year is completely ignored as part of your estate. This can be carried foward for one year.
Exemptions / AllowancesGifts to charities and political parties are Inheritance Tax free
Gifts of no more than £250 to any one recipient per tax year are excluded from Inheritance Tax.
Gifts from income. If you have an income (pension or earnings for example) and you give money regularly from that which leaves you enough income not to impact your lifestyle, then it is exempt.
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Exemptions / AllowancesGifts on consideration of marriage. If you give a gift that is conditional on an agreement of marriage or civil partnership it is exempt. There are limits: £5,000 for a gift from a parent, £2,500 from a grandparent, £1,000 from anyone else.Woodland, Heritage, Farm and Business. If you own an agricultural property that is part of a working farm then a percentage may be exempt from tax. Similarly if you own woodland,
Disclaimer
Issues relating to Taxation are complex and expert advice should be taken from professionals on your individual circumstances. The information set out here is only a guide and is given in good faith and without any liability
The Intestacy Rules ( included in the Administration of Estates Act 1925) set out who gets what if you die without making a will.BELOW IS OUT OF SYNC SO RECHECK AGAIN AND REWRITE
If you are not married ( or in a Civil Partnership ) and have no children
Your surviving relatives will inherit in the following order:
Parents
Brothers or sisters or their children (or children’s children)
Half brother or sisters or their children (or children’s children)
Grandparents
Uncles or aunts (brothers and sisters of the whole blood of a parent) or their children (or children’s children)
Uncles and aunts (brothers and sisters of the half blood of a parent) or their children (or children’s children)
If you are married ( or in a Civil Partnership ) and your estate is worth more than £250,000 and you do not have children but have parents or brothers or sisters or their issue
The surviving spouse’s/civil partner’s automatic share goes up to £450,000 and they still receive the personal possessions. Half of anything left over also goes to the spouse/civil partner absolutely (meaning that it is not subject to a life interest). The other half goes to the surviving relatives in this order
Parents
Brothers or sisters (whole blood) or their children (or their children’s children)
If you are married ( or in a Civil Partnership ) and your estate is worth more than £250,000 and have children thenThe first £250,000 and the personal possessions will go to the spouse/civil partner and they will get a life interest in half of whatever is left over. The other half will go to the children immediately with the rest following when the life interest ends on the death of the spouse/civil partner.
If any child should pre-decease you, then their own children (your grandchildren), would get their parent’s share and so on if a grandchild has predeceased.
If you are married or in a Civil Partnership and your estate is worth less than £250,000
Your surviving spouse/civil partner gets everything.The Intestacy Rules ( included in the Administration of Estates Act 1925) set out who gets what if you die without making a will.If you have no surviving spouse/civil partner, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, first cousins; in this unhappy predicament
everything goes to the Crown !Not to Her Majesty
Look again at some wills sites and reword below in my words, to make it shorter. Can expand in BookOnline Memorials
Grieving online
With the significant adoption of the online world by people, there are an increasing number of people open to using the internet as a way to grieve and remember loved ones after death. There are over 20 websites dedicated to providing online memorials
Implications
There are social, cultural and practical implications of death in the Digital World, thus stimulating a reconsideration of how death, mourning, memories and history are currently being augmented in our technologically mediated society. The archiving, networking and post mortem engagement of ‘digital remains’ leads us to consider what place digital information has in our lives legally, sentimentally and historically.
Facebook
Facebook has been used as a social grieving space for several years already. Profiles of the deceased are routinely transformed into online memorials. But the memorialisation process locks the profile and disables the ability to add new “friends.”
As a result we have seen the creation of memorial “pages” on Facebook. A simple search for “R.I.P” on Facebook shows that people are creating these pages so anyone can participate.
Dedicated online memorial websites go a step further than Facebook. They create a place whose declared purpose is to connect with others and grieve socially. This eliminates the confusion that people experience when encountering death in a vibrantly social place like Facebook.Online Memorial
An online memorial consists of tribute pages hosted on special websites, set up so that families can remember lost loved ones. This can be simply a one-page web document giving the name of the deceased and a few words of tribute, through to a fully functioning memorial site designed to celebrate, commemorate and remember someone's life in its entirety.
Content typically includes multiple photos in a gallery or slideshow plus chosen music and videos uploaded along with memories and stories from friends and family. A common feature is the acceptance of thoughts or candles, often by visiting strangers to the memorial offering their condolences and support to the grieving party.
There can be a timeline which charts the person's life and a family tree to display their links with ancestors and descendants. There may even be a blog or journal which provides a record of emotions and feelings felt during the period of bereavement
Online Healing
An online memorial is now widely accepted as an integral part of the grieving process , and the underlying basis for this is the way in which it can bring those affected by a death closer together by encouraging communication and expression. It is normally one of the tools for bereaved people to communicate with each other and to act as a bridge with others.
An additional benefit is that it can prolong the grieving communication process. It is very easy to all feel compelled to 'stop talking about it' once the funeral has taken place when successful grieving normally requires a much longer period of active remembering.
An online memorial where friends and family can all tell their stories and express their feelings of loss over the medium term can help everyone manage their grief effectively together.
FuneralsHow your funeral is arranged will depend on your faith ( or lack of faith ) .
The traditional types of funerals will be familiar to most people. We set out on this page some types of funerals and burials
Any directions you set out in your will for your funeral will not be binding. However where possible it is likely that your wishes would be observed
Funerals
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor.
These customs vary widely between cultures, and between religious affiliations within cultures. The word funeral comes from the Latin funus, which had a variety of meanings, including the corpse and the funerary rites themselves. Funerary art is art produced in connection with burials, including many kinds of tombs, and objects specially made for burial with a corpse.
Green Funeral
Those with concerns about the effects on the environment of traditional burial or cremation may choose to be buried in a fashion more suited to their beliefs. They may choose to be buried in an all natural bio-degradable green burial shroud, sometimes a simple coffin made of cardboard or other easily-biodegradable material. Further, they may choose their final resting place to be in a park or woodland, known as an eco-cemetery, and may have a tree planted over their grave as a contribution to the environment and a remembrance.
Here is am image of a funeral coffin made of willow
How your funeral is arranged will depend on your faith ( or lack of faith ) .
The traditional types of funerals will be familiar to most people. We set out on this page some types of funerals and burials
Directions
Any directions you set out in your will for your funeral will not be binding. However where possible it is likely that your wishes would be observed
Funerals
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor. These customs vary widely between cultures, and between religious affiliations within cultures. The word funeral comes from the Latin funus, which had a variety of meanings, including the corpse and the funerary rites themselves.
Funerary art is art produced in connection with burials, including many kinds of tombs, and objects specially made for burial with a corpse.
New Orleans Jazz Funeral
A unique funeral tradition in the United States occurs in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tradition arose from a combination of African spiritual practices, French musical traditions, and African-American cultural influences. A typical jazz funeral begins with a march by the family, friends, and a jazz band, starting from the home, funeral home, or church, and proceeding to the cemetery.
Throughout the march, the band plays very somber dirges.
Once the final ceremony has taken place, the march proceeds from the cemetery to a gathering place, and the solemn music is replaced by loud, upbeat, raucous music and dancing where onlookers join in to celebrate the life of the deceased.
This is the origin of the New Orleans dance known as the "second line" where celebrants do a dance-march, frequently while raising the hats and umbrellas brought along as protection from intense New Orleans weather and waving handkerchiefs above the head as they are no longer being used to wipe away tears.
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immorta
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What is the argument on the other side? Only this, that no case has been found in which it has been done before. That argument does not appeal to me in the least.
If we never do anything which has not been done before, we shall never get anywhere. The law will stand still while the rest of the world goes on, and that will be bad for both.
Lord Denning
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